left smudges of dirt on her pale skin, but beneath his index finger, he felt the beat of her heart, strong and steady.
Her chest lifted, shifting the leather of his jacket. She was breathing.
He pulled her into his arms and held her against his body, rocking her. He flung his thanks out into the universe, letting whoever was in charge hear it. He didn’t much believe in God, but if there was one, the fact that Nika was alive after all she’d been through was about as close to proof as he could imagine.
Her slender frame fit against his too well. The rise and fall of her breathing pressed her breasts against his chest. He shouldn’t have been able to feel them through the bulk of all her clothing, but he could. Just like he could feel the curve of her hip and the sleek length of her legs dangling over his thighs.
Her eyes fluttered open, so blue they nearly blinded him. So pretty—just like the skies he remembered from his childhood.
“She won’t let me in,” whispered Nika. “I can’t talk to her. I’ll have to try again later.”
“Don’t you ever do that to me again,” he demanded. “You scared the hell out of me.”
Relief weighed Madoc down, pinning him there on the cold ground. He knew he should get up. He knew he should move away from her and put so much distance between them she wasn’t even in his sight.
She reached up and pressed her chilly hand against his cheek. “You’re cute when you’re scared.”
“Cute?” No one had ever dared call him cute. At least, not to his face.
“Your forehead gets all scrunchy like one of those wrinkled puppies.”
This conversation was headed to a bad place fast. “Clearly, it’s time to get moving.”
“I like being out in the dark like this, alone with you. It’s peaceful. You always make me feel safe.”
Madoc wasn’t touching that comment. Not even if his life depended on it. She had no idea just how unsafe she was at the moment—how much he wanted to do things to her. His lust for her mingled too closely with all the violent urges running through him. In some of his dreams, he’d fucked her and made her cry out in pleasure, but in others, he’d pushed her down and forced her. Raped her. She’d begged him to stop and he hadn’t.
He had no business being anywhere near her. Already, his hands were tightening on her body like he didn’t want to let go. If he didn’t put some distance between them fast, he had no idea what he might do.
He asked, “Can you stand?”
“Sure. I’m fine.”
“You’re not fine. You passed out.”
Nika climbed to her feet, holding the bone close to her chest so it wouldn’t fall. “No, I didn’t. I just slipped out of my body for a minute. I do it all the time.”
“I don’t like it.”
“You didn’t complain when I brought Cain back.”
“What are you talking about?”
“After he was hurt. I went inside him and helped him find the way back. I helped him wake up.”
Madoc had been there after it happened, but he hadn’t realized what she’d done. He wasn’t sure he wanted to know now. The idea of her being inside the mind of another man was just about more than he could stand. It made him feel territorial, when he knew he should be grateful to her for what she’d done. “We’re leaving.”
“What about the rest of the dirt?”
“Fuck the dirt.”
She flinched as if his words hurt her.
“What?” he demanded.
Nika shook her head, making her hair sway. “Nothing. I have my bone. We can go. I need some money, though.”
“What for?”
“Gas. The car’s almost empty.”
A slow, deep anger simmered inside him as the implication of her words sank in. “Are you telling me that you drove out here all alone with no money to even fill the fucking tank?”
“I forgot.”
“Forgot?”
Her chin went up and her stance widened and became defensive. “It’s not like I’m used to any of this. I had to learn to drive the hard way before I could leave. I was so worried I
Her chest lifted, shifting the leather of his jacket. She was breathing.
He pulled her into his arms and held her against his body, rocking her. He flung his thanks out into the universe, letting whoever was in charge hear it. He didn’t much believe in God, but if there was one, the fact that Nika was alive after all she’d been through was about as close to proof as he could imagine.
Her slender frame fit against his too well. The rise and fall of her breathing pressed her breasts against his chest. He shouldn’t have been able to feel them through the bulk of all her clothing, but he could. Just like he could feel the curve of her hip and the sleek length of her legs dangling over his thighs.
Her eyes fluttered open, so blue they nearly blinded him. So pretty—just like the skies he remembered from his childhood.
“She won’t let me in,” whispered Nika. “I can’t talk to her. I’ll have to try again later.”
“Don’t you ever do that to me again,” he demanded. “You scared the hell out of me.”
Relief weighed Madoc down, pinning him there on the cold ground. He knew he should get up. He knew he should move away from her and put so much distance between them she wasn’t even in his sight.
She reached up and pressed her chilly hand against his cheek. “You’re cute when you’re scared.”
“Cute?” No one had ever dared call him cute. At least, not to his face.
“Your forehead gets all scrunchy like one of those wrinkled puppies.”
This conversation was headed to a bad place fast. “Clearly, it’s time to get moving.”
“I like being out in the dark like this, alone with you. It’s peaceful. You always make me feel safe.”
Madoc wasn’t touching that comment. Not even if his life depended on it. She had no idea just how unsafe she was at the moment—how much he wanted to do things to her. His lust for her mingled too closely with all the violent urges running through him. In some of his dreams, he’d fucked her and made her cry out in pleasure, but in others, he’d pushed her down and forced her. Raped her. She’d begged him to stop and he hadn’t.
He had no business being anywhere near her. Already, his hands were tightening on her body like he didn’t want to let go. If he didn’t put some distance between them fast, he had no idea what he might do.
He asked, “Can you stand?”
“Sure. I’m fine.”
“You’re not fine. You passed out.”
Nika climbed to her feet, holding the bone close to her chest so it wouldn’t fall. “No, I didn’t. I just slipped out of my body for a minute. I do it all the time.”
“I don’t like it.”
“You didn’t complain when I brought Cain back.”
“What are you talking about?”
“After he was hurt. I went inside him and helped him find the way back. I helped him wake up.”
Madoc had been there after it happened, but he hadn’t realized what she’d done. He wasn’t sure he wanted to know now. The idea of her being inside the mind of another man was just about more than he could stand. It made him feel territorial, when he knew he should be grateful to her for what she’d done. “We’re leaving.”
“What about the rest of the dirt?”
“Fuck the dirt.”
She flinched as if his words hurt her.
“What?” he demanded.
Nika shook her head, making her hair sway. “Nothing. I have my bone. We can go. I need some money, though.”
“What for?”
“Gas. The car’s almost empty.”
A slow, deep anger simmered inside him as the implication of her words sank in. “Are you telling me that you drove out here all alone with no money to even fill the fucking tank?”
“I forgot.”
“Forgot?”
Her chin went up and her stance widened and became defensive. “It’s not like I’m used to any of this. I had to learn to drive the hard way before I could leave. I was so worried I
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